EPA Seeks Comments on Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site Proposed Cleanup Plan for Shore Road Area in Stratford
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
STRATFORD, CONN. (Aug. 3, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing a Proposed Plan for the cleanup of the Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site’s Operable Unit 5, known as the Shore Road area in Stratford, Conn. EPA will hold an informational meeting on August 8, 2023 and a public hearing on September 6, 2023. Both the August and September meetings will be held from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in-person and offer an option to join virtually. The in-person component will be held at the Raymark Field Office at 300 Ferry Boulevard. To join virtually, find the meeting information on Raymark’s webpage: epa.gov/superfund/raymark
At the informational meeting on August 8, 2023, EPA will present the results of the investigations conducted at Shore Road, the cleanup options that were evaluated, and the preferred remedy identified in the Proposed Plan.
The public hearing on September 6, 2023 will be an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed remedy. All verbal comments will be recorded and become part of the official record.
EPA will be accepting public comments on the proposed plan from August 9, 2023 through September 8, 2023. EPA will formally respond to all comments received during the 30-day comments period, both written and oral, in a responsiveness summary which will be part of the formal record. A Record of Decision (ROD), which formally documents the final remedy and includes the responsiveness summary, is expected to be finalized by the end of September 2023.
EPA’s preferred alternative for the remedy, detailed in the Proposed Plan, will protect human health and the environment by preventing potential exposure to contamination. EPA plans to accomplish this through a combination of excavating Raymark Waste contaminated soil and placing a 4-foot clean soil cover throughout the area.
The Proposed Plan includes:
- Excavation of approximately three feet of contaminated soils at the shoreline and two feet of contaminated soils along the western edge of Shore Road.
- Placement of four feet of clean soil cover throughout the area to prevent exposure to any potential remaining Raymark Waste.
- Grading the area to increase the shoreline by approximately 1-foot for coastal resiliency and increase the elevation of Shore Road by approximately two feet.
- Any excavated soil considered to be hazardous will be shipped off-site to an out-of-town hazardous waste disposal facility.
- Remaining nonhazardous material will be shipped to either an out-of-town location or to an in-town location, if appropriate and if capacity is available in-town. This material will not be shipped to the Raybestos Ballfield (Operable Unit 4).
The estimated total present value of this proposed cleanup approach, including construction, operation and maintenance, and long-term monitoring is approximately $11.2 million.
Background
The former Raymark Industries, Inc. facility was located at 75 East Main Street in Stratford, Connecticut. Raymark Industries, Inc. (Raymark) was a manufacturer of automotive brakes, clutch parts, and other friction components, primarily for the automotive industry. Raymark operated at this location from 1919 until 1989 when operations ceased. Raymark’s manufacturing waste was historically disposed of as fill on the facility, but over time this waste material was also disposed of within Stratford at a minimum of 46 residential properties, and at numerous other commercial, recreational, and municipal properties. In addition, several wetland areas near the Housatonic River were also filled in with Raymark’s manufacturing waste. The contaminants in Raymark’s waste primarily consisted of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, lead, and copper; however, extensive VOC soil contamination also exists at the former Raymark facility. Extensive testing of soil, groundwater, soil gas, indoor air, and sediments throughout the Stratford community has been conducted by the EPA and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP).
The 34-acre former manufacturing facility at 75 East Main Street has been demolished, capped, and redeveloped into what is now known as the Stratford Crossing Shopping Center.
The site is being addressed by area or Operable Unit. See What is Being Done for current status of each.
Operable Unit 1 – Facility
Operable Unit 2 – Groundwater/Indoor Air
Operable Unit 3 – Ferry Creek (Area I – Includes Upper Ferry Creek and Associated Wetlands)
Operable Unit 4 – Raybestos Memorial Field (Ballpark)
Operable Unit 5 – Shore Road
Operable Unit 6 – Additional Properties
Operable Unit 7 – Ferry Creek (Area II – Includes Lower Ferry Creek, Selby Pond, and the Housatonic River Wetlands)
Operable Unit 8 – Ferry Creek (Area III – Includes Wetlands at Beacon Point and Elm Street)
Operable Unit 9 – Short Beach Park & Stratford Landfill
More Information and Public Comment Opportunity:
A copy of EPA’s Proposed Plan for the Raymark Site, it’s Administrative Record File, as well as other site related documents and other technical documents related to the site, are available for review online at EPA’s web page epa.gov/superfund/raymark or via computer at the following locations:
- The site information repository at the Stratford Public Library, Reference Department, 2203 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Records Center located at 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts. The Records Center is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am until 5:00 pm; for an appointment to view the records at EPA’s office please call at (617) 918-1440.
Submit your comments during the 30 day-public comment period on the Proposed Plan no later than September 8, 2023 by mail, hand delivery/courier, or email to:
Ronald Jennings, Remedial Project Manager
Raymark Industries, Inc. Superfund Site
EPA Region 1, Raymark Cleanup Headquarters
300 Ferry Blvd
Stratford, CT 06615
Jennings.Ron@epa.gov
Fax: (617) 918-0242
If you have questions on the Proposed Plan, please reach out to:
Darriel Swatts, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator by email at Swatts.Darriel@epa.gov or by phone at (617) 918-1065.
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-seeks-comments-raymark-industries-inc-superfund-site-proposed-cleanup-plan-shore
